Archive for the ‘Les Dunham’ tag

The 1970s may have been a time of wretched excess, but customizer Les Dunham of Dunham Coachworks in Boonton, New Jersey, realized that some clients preferred their excess in moderation. Famous for building “Super Fly” Cadillac Eldorados, Dunham was inspired to apply a similarly radical styling concept to a smaller, more understated car, and the Chevrolet Corvette Caballista was born. Only 50 were constructed between 1977 and 1982, and one of these little-seen Corvettes recently sold at auction for $13,750.

Bedecked in acres of chrome and complete with faux sidepipes, the example that traded hands at Worldwide’s Burt Collection sale on September 21 sported a numbers-matching 350-cu.in. V-8, mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Wire wheels were shod with the obligatory whitewall tires, but the body appeared to be wearing a bit of primer, perhaps applied after repairs to the fiberglass body. Though this example will need paint before it rolls in real style, it’s almost certain to be the only example on display at a Saturday morning cruise-in or a local Corvette club meet.

The auction’s top seller, a 1983 Ferrari 512BBi.

While the bulk of the cars crossing the block in Lake Forest, Illinois, were of the bargain-priced variety, the list of top five sales contained a few more significant offerings. A 1983 Ferrari 512BBi, complete with a recent major service, sold for $93,500; a 1937 Packard Twelve All-Weather Cabriolet, sold for $80,300; a 1959 Facel Vega HK500, sold for $78,100; a 1953 Allard K3 Roadster, sold for $55,000; and a 1966 Porsche 911, sold for $52,800.

This 1955 Ford Country Squire traded hands at $1,110.

On the more affordable side, a pair of Merkur XR4Ti models, a 1987 and a 1989, sold for $220 and $3,300, respectively; a 1980 Lotus Eclat sold for $550; three 1990 Jeep Grand Cherokee Wagoneer models sold for a collective $6,930 (individually at $6,050, $330, and $550); a 1955 Ford Country Squire Station Wagon sold for $1,100; and a 1980 Fiat X1/9 Targa sold for $110. While many of these were in rough shape and perhaps best suited to “parts car” status, a $110 Fiat X1/9 would surely make an interesting candidate for an engine swap or LeMons racer, without breaking even the most modest of budgets.

It’s more than facile to fill a museum exhibit dedicated to cars and pop culture with Elvis, poodle skirt, and sock hop references. The AACA Museum, however, has taken a far more daring path by featuring a pair of Dunham Coach “Super Fly”-type cars in its upcoming showcase, “Pop Culture and Cars: Retro Adventures.”

Likely appearing at an AACA event for the very first time, the Dunham Coach “Corvorado” – as featured in the films Live and Let Die and Superman: The Movie – and the Dunham Coach “Super Fly” Cadillac Eldorado – as seen in Ft. Apache the Bronx – aren’t typical AACA fare, but both played a significant role in 1970s pop culture.

As documented in the debut issue of Autocult magazine, the whole “Flash Car” movement began with the request of a Dunham Coach customer named “Snake” to add a bit more chrome to his new 1969 Cadillac Fleetwood. While that sounds simple enough nowadays, it’s important to remember that on the East Coast in the late 1960s, there was still an enormous racial divide; white customization shop owners often refused to work on the cars of affluent black clientele, particularly when the source of their income was suspect. Les Dunham, owner of Dunham Coach, had no such reservations and treated all customers with respect. Dunham also listened to his clientele, delivering them exactly what was requested – and more.

Snake’s request for a chrome radiator surround ultimately turned into a restyled radiator surround, patterned off the vertical grille of a Rolls-Royce. Happy with Dunham’s work, Snake soon brought him additional business, as well as additional clients, and by the early 1970s, it wasn’t uncommon for a car carrier to show up at Dunham Coach, loaded with new Cadillacs awaiting Les’s touch. In 1971, Snake’s request for a Rolls-Royce-style headlight, influenced by cars of the 1920s, led to the creation of the “Fly Light,” an oversize chrome headlight surround that became a hallmark of Dunham Coach design.

The cultural significance of Dunham’s work goes far beyond the addition of chrome trim, exaggerated headlight surrounds and fake sidemounts. As Dan Stoner of Autocult explained, “Les was the only guy who real-life pimps could take their brand-new Cadillacs to for customization. Dunham single-handedly took the custom car industry out of Southern California and right into the sleepy town of Boonton, New Jersey, for this ‘clientele.'”

The 1971 film Super Fly, a term once used by a customer of Dunham’s to describe his work, put Dunham Coach’s cars on the big screen. Additional film appearances would follow, highlighting other Dunham creations, such as the cut-down Cadillac Eldorado-bodied Corvette known as the Corvorado. When interest in “Flash Cars” waned at the close of the 1970s, Dunham turned his attention to making custom truck parts, once again proving his versatility.

The AACA’s recognition of Dunham’s work is significant, if perhaps a bit overdue. As Stoner put it, “Interest [in Flash Cars] definitely started to surge again in the early 2000s, following the typical cycle of pop culture (25-30 years) and the renewed interest in all things Seventies. The renewed interest in Blaxploitation Film and Grindhouse Film also contributed to the interest in Les’s Flash Cars, because of Super Fly.”

The AACA’s Pop Culture and Cars exhibit will feature far more than just Dunham’s “Super Fly” creations. Other cars to be shown include the 1932 Ford Roadster driven by actor, pop star and 1950s icon Ricky Nelson, the 1978 Pontiac Trans-Am Y-84 presented to Burt Reynolds after filming Smokey and the Bandit, a 1969 American Motors Corporation AMX and a 1974 Bricklin. There are a few more ordinary cars on display as well, including a 1961 VW Transporter, a 1970 Ford Maverick, a 1975 AMC Pacer X and a 1977 Chrysler Cordoba (complete with “soft Corinthian leather,” as shilled by Ricardo Montalban for Chrysler Corporation).

No exhibit on pop culture would be complete without other trappings from the various decades, including a 1950s juke box, 1960s lava lamps and a 1970s mirrored disco ball. “Pop Culture and Cars: Retro Adventures” will run from May 17 through October 13 at the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit AACAMuseum.org.